Counterfeit HDMI cables seem to be a big problem in high-tech Taiwan. Public service broadcaster PTS and the Liberty Times both published reports on Wednesday, sharing news of a police raid that netted 3,037 counterfeit HDMI cables from online sellers based in several major cities. According to reports, the seized goods had an “infringement market value” of over TWD$80 million (USD$2.6 million).
While the PTS reports characterize online sellers of counterfeit HDMI products as “unscrupulous operators,” the Police Department’s view seems to be less judgmental. For example, a police captain is quoted as saying that both the public and online sellers misunderstand HDMI. They typically think it is just the name of a connector or wire, and don’t know it is a registered trademark, reasoned the law enforcement official. However, products using the HDMI standard technology and / or trademark need to come from license fee-paying companies.
